NEW YORK — U.S. health advisers are expected to authorize a “mix and match” approach to COVID vaccine booster shots this week when they give full approval for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots, according to the New York Times.
The Times reported that the Food and Drug Administration was planning to allow Americans to receive a different vaccine for their booster shot than the original vaccine they first received.
After an FDA panel endorsed both J&J and Moderna boosters after meetings last week, the agency is expected to grant full authorization to the booster shots by Wednesday evening.
After that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory panel would meet on Thursday to make its own recommendations.
Full FDA and CDC approval come come as soon as the end of this week, immediately expanding booster eligibility for tens of millions of Americans.
Approving the “mixing and matching” of boosters would give health care providers greater flexibility and access, and the science so far seems to support it.
A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that people who got the J&J vaccine who then received a Moderna or Pfizer booster shot, had significantly higher antibody levels, compared with getting a J&J booster.
The FDA and CDC fully authorized Pfizer’s booster shot in late September for at-risk adults and those 65 and older.
The FDA has said it would not recommend one booster shot over another.
President and CEO of University Hospital in Newark Dr. Shereef Elnahal spoke with PIX11 News to clear up some of the COVID confusion among “mixing and matching” boosters.
